Ullapool
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|---|---|
 Ullapool | |
  Ullapool Location within theRoss and Cromarty area | |
| Population | 1,500 (2022)[1] |
| OS grid reference | NH125945 |
| • Edinburgh | 153 mi (246 km) |
| • London | 485 mi (781 km) |
| Civil parish | |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ULLAPOOL |
| Postcode district | IV26 |
| Dialling code | 01854 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| 57°54′00″N5°09′58″W / 57.900°N 5.166°W /57.900; -5.166 | |
Ullapool (/ˈʌləpuːl/;[2]Scottish Gaelic:Ulapul[ˈul̪ˠapʰul̪ˠ])[3] is a village and port located in thecivil parish ofLochbroom in the county ofRoss and Cromarty,Scottish Highlands. It is located around 45 miles (70 kilometres) northwest ofInverness. According to theScottish Government in 2016, the village had a population of 1,520 people, making it the largest settlement inWester Ross.[4][5]
Ullapool sits on a deep sea loch,Loch Broom, a significant natural harbour. As a result, Ullapool's port is regionally significant with ferries operated byCaledonian MacBrayne running from Ullapool toStornoway on theIsle of Lewis. It also serves leisure craft, commercial fishing vessels and cruise ships.[6]
TheA835 road fromInverness toDurness passes through the village. This forms part of the route of the scenic tourist route theNorth Coast 500.
On the east shore ofLoch Broom, Ullapool was founded in 1788 as aherring port by theBritish Fisheries Society.[7] It was designed byThomas Telford. Prior to 1788 the town was only an insignificanthamlet made up of just over 20 households.[8] The harbour is used as a fishing port, yachting haven, and ferry port.
A road to link Ullapool withDingwall was commenced in 1792.[9] The village was historically inCromartyshire, a county made up of many separateenclaves scattered across northernRoss-shire. Cromartyshire was abolished and combined with surrounding Ross-shire in 1890.
Many of the pivotalVictorian era discoveries[example needed] that informed the concept ofplate tectonics were made[by whom?] in this area. There are still[when?] regular international geological conferences[example needed] held in Ullapool, which has been described as the top geological hotspot in Scotland.[10]
Parliament granted permission in the 1890s for arailway from Ullapool to the main Highland network atGarve railway station, but the scheme was abandoned due to insufficient funds.[citation needed]
The name is possibly derived from theNorse word for "wool farm" or "Ulli's farm".[11]
The region surrounding Ullapool is dominated by rugged mountains, and especially byBheinn Ghobhlach to the west,An Teallach to the southwest (both across the loch),Beinn Dearg to the southeast close to the head ofLoch Broom, andBeinn Mhòr na Còigich to the north. These summits are referred to asperiglacial enclaves, a term used to describe areas that were adjacent to glaciers and impacted by cold climates.[12]
An Teallach is a mountain which dominates the area and consists ofTorridonian sandstone, which is layered nearly horizontally. It is a challenging climb and a considerable distance from the nearest road. Climbing affords views to the sea and the islands to the west, but also to the south, and the desolate Whitbread wilderness.[13]
Ullapool sits on a substantial geological structure known as theMoine Thrust Belt. This geological feature spans a considerable distance fromLoch Eriboll in the north, extending southwards to theIsle of Skye. The Moine Thrust Belt represents the western margin of theCaledonian orogeny which took place during thePalaeozoic era.[12][14]
Venues for music and the performing arts in Ullapool include theMacphail Centre, which is located in the High School and includes a small theatre,[15] andThe Ceilidh Place, a hotel, restaurant, and music venue which has previously held concerts by artists includingRab Noakes,Dick Gaughan,Kathleen MacInnes, andThe Peatbog Faeries.[16][17] The Ullapool Guitar Festival is also held annually in the village.[18]
An talla solais, an arts centre, is located in the village,[19] along with a swimming pool and fitness centre, and several pubs, restaurants, and tourist accommodation facilities.[20] The 19th, and final, Ullapool Book Festival was held in the village in May 2023.[21][22] TheTall Ships visited Ullapool in July 2011, whilst sailing fromGreenock toLerwick.[23][24]
Ullapool was home to theshinty teamLochbroom Camanachd; however, the club has not completed a competitive fixture since 2015.[25][26]
Throughout the year there are many smallfèisean and music festivals in the local halls and hotels, especially in the Ceilidh Place and the Arch Inn. The Ullapool Guitar Festival takes place in early October each year, attracting performers at several venues over the weekend.
TheLoopallu Festival, created by the American rock-grass bandHayseed Dixie and local promoter Robert Hicks in 2005,[27] was well received and has become a major regional annual event, more than doubling the size of the village during the festival. In 2007 it attracted several bands includingThe Saw Doctors,Dreadzone andFranz Ferdinand headlining on the second night. There are also fringe events at local bars.The Pigeon Detectives have played the Village Hall.Amy MacDonald in 2008 andPaolo Nutini in 2007 both played the Ceilidh Place.Mumford & Sons have also played in Ullapool twice.[28][29] The final festival took place in 2019.[30]
Since 2023, the village has hosted Scotland's "most remote club night", calledbaile/baile, which showcases local and national DJs.[31]
Ullapool has a local radio station calledLochbroom FM broadcasting on 102.2 and 96.8 FM and online, with programming provided mostly byTwo Lochs Radio in Gairloch.[32][33]
The community was rated as among the "20 most beautiful villages in the UK and Ireland" byCondé Nast Traveler in 2020.[34]
Ullapool is referenced in the multiplayer video gameTeam Fortress 2 as the hometown of Tavish DeGroot, known in-game as the Demoman,[35] and in the name of an in-game melee weapon that the Demoman can choose to have in his loadout, the "Ullapool Caber",[36] a German Type 24 stick hand grenade.
In 1970, Ross and Cromarty council voted to create a new £460,000 (equivalent to £8,987,500 in 2023)[37] ferry terminal at Ullapool, 43 miles (69 km) from Stornoway, replacing that at theKyle of Lochalsh that is 71 miles (114 km) from Stornoway.[38] The ferry terminal is linked to the A835 trunk road with theA893. During 2022 the Ullapool Harbour Trust commenced a £4.3 million project to construct a new promenade and wider access road along the trunk road which will improve the inner harbour, provide pontoons for marine tourism and provide better access for pedestrians and cyclists.[39] At the terminalCaledonian MacBrayne operates aroll-on/roll-off carferry toStornoway on the Isle of Lewis.
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Ullapool has anoceanic climate (Köppen:Cfb) with, considering its northerly latitude, relatively mild temperatures year-round. With an average 1,105 sunshine hours per year, it is cloudier than any major city in Europe.
| Climate data for Ullapool (1 m asl, averages 1981-2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 5.1 (41.2) | 5.5 (41.9) | 7.0 (44.6) | 10.0 (50.0) | 13.4 (56.1) | 15.3 (59.5) | 17.2 (63.0) | 16.6 (61.9) | 14.4 (57.9) | 10.8 (51.4) | 7.5 (45.5) | 5.2 (41.4) | 10.7 (51.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.2 (29.8) | −1.1 (30.0) | 0.2 (32.4) | 1.6 (34.9) | 3.9 (39.0) | 7.1 (44.8) | 9.1 (48.4) | 8.8 (47.8) | 6.6 (43.9) | 4.0 (39.2) | 1.3 (34.3) | −1.4 (29.5) | 3.2 (37.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 236.3 (9.30) | 164.0 (6.46) | 175.3 (6.90) | 94.0 (3.70) | 87.7 (3.45) | 85.7 (3.37) | 98.2 (3.87) | 103.5 (4.07) | 150.3 (5.92) | 199.5 (7.85) | 191.8 (7.55) | 180.5 (7.11) | 1,766.8 (69.55) |
| Average rainy days(≥ 1 mm) | 19.7 | 17.0 | 20.4 | 16.0 | 14.7 | 14.2 | 14.9 | 16.5 | 17.4 | 20.1 | 19.2 | 17.2 | 207.3 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 26 | 54 | 85 | 134 | 186 | 151 | 127 | 125 | 96 | 66 | 34 | 21 | 1,105 |
| Source 1:[40] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:[41] | |||||||||||||
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